"It's also possible that Microsoft knew all along that Surface is just an experiment -- a sly way to motivate its hardware partners -- and if it goes the way of the Zune, Microsoft will carry on. "

So what your saying that by designing and releasing the Surface Tablet is that Microsoft meant to screw up both the Windows 8 brand name and its own brand in releasing a flawed product?

I would think a couple of gallons of gasoline and some matches would have been much more effective overall. I think Microsoft can carry on ,but if the company was trying to use Surface as leverage to increase manufacturer's adoption of Windows 8 then they failed miserably. Selecting a preferred vendor limits overall risk to the bottom line for MSFT look at Nokia. The Surface maybe a great product ,but consumers don't care because its something different that they don't want to learn. Microsoft is a mature company now and its needs to start acting like one.

I understand the Surface Pro and the iPad are different beasts, just trying to convey that Surface Pro could handle the heavy loads if you wanted to use it that way. Regardless, the Surface Pro has been perceived as Microsoft's response to the iPad (even if it's not a direct response) and Microsoft has perpetuated that notion in its ads. But the awkward tablet/desktop marriage, the power-hungry nature of the device and exorbitant price ($1,000 with keyboard!) were too much for people to take. Microsoft just gave Apple too much time to establish what the tablet experience should be like. It's tough to undo all that.

I tested a Surface Pro a while ago and I agree with your assessment on it striking the right balance. I think its poor traction is related to its price point Gă÷ you can either get a better laptop for about the same price, or a better tablet for less. I just don't know if there's enough of an "in-between" market at this point Gă÷ though I hope this doesn't discourage innovation in the space because I think there is a great device at the right price waiting to be designed.

"In trying to serve two masters, Microsoft ended up designing a device that's neither a great laptop (flimsy keyboard, a screen still too small for prolonged use) nor a great tablet (awkward UI, lacking in quality apps compared with Android and iOS). " I have to ask whether you've actually used one for a prolonged period of time. Personally, I like my Surface Pro and find that it strikes exactly the right balance between the two models. It solves the tablet's need for a true keyboard and addresses the ways a laptop can be enhanced by touch screens. More importantly, it can run all Windows software, which is a huge plus.If the Surface Pro does not succeed, I doubt it will be because of the design. More likely Windows 8, price, or battery life will be greater factors.

This is the problem. On paper, the Surface Pro checks off a lot of wants/ needs: mobile form factor and good build quality; access to desktop apps; access to mobile/ touch apps; HD screen; peripherals that let it shift between desktop mode and laptop mode; etc.

But in practice, the device is flawed. It has a lot of merits, and I actually really enjoy aspects of IE in the Modern UI, and, once I got used to it, the way Bing is integrated. But none of the Surface Pro's tablet attributes are going to persuade many people who already like and have iPads. That means the device's primary differentiator is its ability to handle x86 apps, and on that front, it's just not that great.

I know Microsoft is very pleased with the kickstand, for example, but when I have to work on the go, I often have to plop down wherever there's space-- the floor, wedged between people on the train, in a corner of an airport, etc. The Surface Pro is fine if you have a flat surface but miserable if you don't. The flimsy keyboard peripherals are a culprit here, and while I can understand the decision to compromise laptop ergonomics in the name of increased mobility, the compromise doesn't balance properly for my needs.

The relatively small screen, though nice, also diminishes the appeal of the laptop mode and its x86 access. Is it valuable to have a light, portable device that runs Office? YES. But unless I'm in a situation in which mobility matters more than anything else (e.g. reporting from a conference), I'll use a laptop or a desktop every time for Word documents. The bigger screen matters.

Similarly, I like that Win8 tablets let me use things like Lightroom and Photoshop, but if I'm doing more than light work, the small screen gets in the way here, too.

Put another way, the Surface Pro is surprisingly fun when I'm just playing with it, but as soon as I need it to do some "real work," it becomes surprisingly limited, as often as not. I recognize that I might be forcing it into use cases for which it wasn't intended, and that if it's used within the scope of its design, it's great. Fine, whatever-- but how big is the market for people who want to stay inside these design confines?

And that's the point: I think the Surface Pro is a quality device, but it's just too compromised to appeal to a wide enterprise audience. For some people, it will be the obvious choice. Heck, at moments in my day, the Surface Pro is MY obvious choice. But at most other moments, my first choice is something else: a Win7 laptop, an iMac, an iPhone, a BlackBerry, etc. The Surface Pro doesn't replace devices so much as carve out a little niche of its own.

Rust belt software companies will keep the Surface alive. For instance, we access our school's clinic information system through Citrix terminal services. The Citrix client works perfectly on a Surface Pro, and their iPad client is horrendous. So, even though we are a nearly 100% Mac shop, Citrix's pathetic iPad programmers are driving us to buying Surfaces.

Lets understand the differences between Surface Pro and the iPad. What may look to be a better spec'd tablet really isn't. I'm pretty surprised that Shane doesn't understand either piece of hardware, and why they are that way.

First the screen. In reality, the iPad's 4:3 9.6" screen has more surface area than the Surface's 10.6" 16:9 screen. It's also a better screen, with higher resolution.

While Windows needs 4GB in order to do its tasks, iOS only needs 1GB. 4GB for iOS would be like 16GB for Windows, because of the very different paths the OS's have taken. It's also well known that 64GB for the Surface Is not nearly what 64GB is for the iPad. You really need the 128GB model to get enough flash for Windows on these tablets.

In addition, Windows requires a chip as powerful as the i5, while iOS and it's apps do not.

Making a virtue out of a necessity isn't a good argument for a device that cost twice as much once the required keyboard is added.

And with tens of millions of iPads in use by business, large and small, as well increasing government agencies around the world, people have learned to do without Office on mobile devices. I did read in another article. In either Computerworld, or here, that the most popular apps for mobile in business and government are Pages, Keynote, and Numbers. Giving the lie to the argument that Office will be a major reason to buy any Surface, or Win 8 mobile device.

When Microsoft's Dynamics (enterprise apps) business announced new openness to rival mobile platforms two years ago it was a huge relief. Dynamics CRM supports iPads and Android devices, even if they always mention the Windows device options first. There's no way to ignore the realities of the numbers,

The Surface Pro is a legit contender, but is just not gaining much traction on the Enterprise side.MS really screwed the pooch with the whole RT thing. The resulting consumer confusion killed the product at a time when it had considerable buzz.

As InformationWeek Government readers were busy firming up their fiscal year 2015 budgets, we asked them to rate more than 30 IT initiatives in terms of importance and current leadership focus. No surprise, among more than 30 options, security is No. 1. After that, things get less predictable.